F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday while expressing satisfaction over the economic situation of the country, said that from day first, they had been working to provide facilities to the private sector for the economic development, provision of job opportunities and expansion of businesses and investment.
He observed that due to the government’s policies, the inflation rate in the country was on the nosedive and through governance they had been taking steps to pass on the effects of the reduction in the price hike to the common man. The prime minister expressed these views while chairing the first meeting of the Economic Advisory Council, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The meeting was attended by council members including Jahangir Khan Tareen, Saqib Sherazi, Shahzad Saleem, Mussadiq Zulqarnain, Dr Ejaz Nabi, Asif Pir, Zaid Bashir, Salman Ahmed and Sheharyar Chishti. Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Ahsan Iqbal, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Dr Jehanzeb Khan, PM’ Coordinator Rana Ahsan Afzal, governor SBP and relevant senior officials were also present.
The prime minister observed that the positive trends in the stock market reflected trust of the business community and investors in the government’s policies, adding they would provide further facilities to the foreign investors and business community in the next fiscal budget. The prime minister said that they would reduce the tax ratio on common man and would increase the number of tax filers.
For the digitization of the country’s economy, they were taking steps on priority basis, he said, adding that they would ensure provision of quality seeds and timely supply of fertilizers to the farmers for increasing their yield per acre. He further assured to promote small and medium level industry to save agricultural products from wastage.
The prime minister directed for removal of all hurdles in acquiring visa by the foreign investors and business people. The meeting was apprised that due to the government’s investment and business friendly policies, the confidence of the local and foreign investors had been strengthened which was reflected in the bullish trends of the stock market.
Giving briefing over the economic indicators, the meeting was apprised that during the third quarter of the current fiscal year, the agri sector showed a growth rate of 6.25 percent which was higher by 2.27 percent in the corresponding period last year. Similarly, the industrial and service sectors also witnessed tangible growth rate. The inflation rate had been reduced from 38 percent to 17 percent and the government was immediately ensuring its trickle down effects upon the common man.
During the meeting, the council members presented different proposals for the economic stability and for different sectors. The prime minister directed for submission of comprehensive recommendations in the next meeting related to necessary steps for increasing country’s exports.
Shehbaz for maximum utilization of IT sector’s potential: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stressed upon the need of maximum utilization of opportunities in the Information and Technology sector as the country possessed immense potential in this field.
He said the government was taking all possible steps for the promotion of IT sector and urged the IT industry to play its role in the country’s economy by supporting the government. The prime minister chaired a meeting on the matters related to Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications and National Information Technology Board.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal (via video link), Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja, PM’s Coordinator Rana Ahsan Afzal and relevant senior officials, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
During the meeting, the prime minister observed that Pakistani entrepreneurs had played a very critical role in the promotion and development of IT sector. He directed for taking of suitable steps for improving the quality of 4G services in the country.
The prime minister while underscoring the need of taking practical steps, on priority basis, to enhance IT export, directed for resolution of issues faced by the IT industry for further enhancing of harmony between the government and the IT industry. The Governor State Bank of Pakistan was directed that there should be no hurdles from the banks with regard to the debit cards and foreign currency issues of the exporters of software products.
The prime minister also underlined that the Higher Education Commission, universities and the training institutes should work on priority basis to increase the number of IT professionals, adding that the IT courses should be brought in conformity with the requirements of the relevant industry. He directed for holding of consultations with the private sector aimed at encouragement of startups and provision of facilities to them.
The prime minister, in the meeting, asked for constitution of a special committee to evaluate the performance of National Information Technology Board. The meeting was apprised that to achieve the target of country’s IT exports worth $25 billion till 2029, tech services and captive IT business would be broadened, besides Pakistan Digital Commission was also being established and in this regard, required legislation was being made.
With automation in the government to government, government to business transactions, innovations would be brought in health, education and agriculture sectors. Under Pakistan DigitalNation project, the government affairs and economy would be digitized, it was further added.
The prime minister was apprised that in the next five years, a target of imparting training to about 1.5 million people in IT sector had been set. A total of 200,000 persons would be given training in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and cyber security in the next five-year. The meeting was further informed that under public private partnership, the international certifications would be ensured for the IT professionals whereas master training programmes would be initiated for the IT professionals. Three IT parks and 250 e-Rozgar centers would be established, it was further added.
During the meeting, various proposals were presented for the promotion of telecommunication sector through short, medium and long terms measures. The target for taking mobile broadband coverage upto 100MBPS was also set while the fiber penetration would be enhanced to 12 percent. The prime minister was apprised that facilities would be provided to startups with regard to health tech, AI, financial tech and agri tech, while tax exemption steps would be taken for the startups.
Pakistan desires to expand trade, investment ties with Germany: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighting immense potential of boosting German investment, said that Pakistan desired to enhance its bilateral trade and investment portfolio with Germany.
He, talking to a delegation of a German NGO Global Bridges Berlin, said that his government was resolved to strengthen Pak-German cooperation in the fields of industry, alternative energy, mining, information technology, agriculture and others. The prime minister, who most of the time spoke in German with the delegation, said that Pakistan always greatly valued its relationship with Germany and considered it as its significant partner in Europe.
The delegation members appreciated the prime minster’s fluent conversation in their language and thanked him for the gesture. Prime Minister Shehbaz told the delegation that despite meager contribution to the carbon emission, Pakistan was among the countries most affected by the impacts of climate change.
He told the delegation that Pakistan wanted to benefit from Germany’s experiences in the field of alternative energy, agriculture, and food security. Besides, he said the capacity building of Pakistan’s manpower was being done through quality skill training to make them employable abroad.
The delegation members, which also included German Ambassador in Pakistan Alfred Grannas and German businessmen and investors, expressed their keen interest in investing in Pakistan’s carbon credit market, as well as climate change and agriculture. Federal Ministers Jam Kamal Khan, Rana Tanveer Hussain and Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State Shaza Fatima Khawaja and relevant senior officers attended the meeting.
Peace in South Asia linked with just settlement of Kashmir dispute: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that a durable peace in South Asia was contingent upon a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiri people.
The prime minister, talking to a delegation of Kashmiri diaspora activists, led by Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General World Kashmir Awareness Forum which called on him here, reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering moral, diplomatic and political support for Kashmiri people’s struggle for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination.
He lauded the Kashmiri activists’ efforts to increase global awareness about the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the plight of people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The prime minister recalled that he had never missed any opportunity to raise the voice in support of Kashmiri brothers and sisters, as evident from his address at the 2022 UN General Assembly, as well as at other forums including SCO and with other world leaders.
The Kashmiri activists thanked the prime minister for Pakistan’s consistent support to the Kashmir cause. They also apprised him of the latest developments in the region and shared their efforts to highlight the Kashmir freedom struggle in various parts of the world.
